12 Facts About Alfred Poland

Sir Alfred Poland was a 19th-century British surgeon.

Alfred Poland is best known for the first account of the condition later known as Poland syndrome, a congenital deformity now described as an underdevelopment or absence of the chest muscle on one side of the body and webbing of the fingers of the hand on the same side.

Alfred Poland was born in London, England, the son of William Poland, and educated at Highgate, London, Paris and Frankfurt.

Alfred Poland was then put in general charge of the Ophthalmic Department.

Alfred Poland continued to see a few patients at Guy's up to his early death in 1872.

Alfred Poland received the eponym more than a century later in 1962 through the recognition of British surgeon Patrick Wensley Clarkson after he operated on a case similar to that of Poland.

Alfred Poland was awarded the Fothergillian prize in 1853 by the London Medical Society for his essay on "Injuries and Wounds of the Abdomen".

Alfred Poland was an extremely popular teacher, but his career was punctuated by recurrent illness so that he remarked that he was like a cat and had nine lives.

Alfred Poland was a modest, retiring man, who was quite careless about his appearance.

Alfred Poland was warned by the Treasurer to dress more decently and cleanly, but ignored this advice.

Alfred Poland was known by his colleagues to be an excellent surgeon, but would time his operations at unusual hours so that few observed him.

Alfred Poland continued to see patients until four days before his death.